Human beings seem to have been blessed with an unlimited capacity for enjoyment and an unlimited imagination for creating things to enjoy. We will never know the name of the individual who first hit upon the idea of allowing grape juice to ferment into wine, and then not only drink it, but persuaded others to do so as well. But on the eventful day that the first swallow of wine slid over a human palate, the world was forever changed.

Wine had been revered for its intoxicating charms through the centuries, so much so that it has been judged, prized, and collected. Wine cellars have become important assets to be handed down from generation to generation. And for those who do not have the facilities to create a wine cellar, wine storage cabinets have become essential.

Better Than Wine Cellars

Wine storage cabinets do have one advantage over wine cellars; they are usually kept in plain view so that those wishing to impress their guests with their latest acquisitions will not have to go too far to do it. Half the fun of owning collections lies in displaying them to others, and wine storage cabinets are an ideal way to show off wine collections.

Wine storage cabinets, while they are similar to most cabinetry in their size, shapes, and substances, are designed with a different function. Because they are meant to hold bottles of wine lying horizontally, they have rows of circular "tunnels" into which the individual wine bottles can be inserted.

Why Wine Is Stored On Its Side

Genuine wine lovers would never allow their wine to be sorted vertically; one of the secrets to successfully keeping wine an allowing its value to appreciate for decades, or even centuries, is to make sure that cork of the wine bottle remains moist. As long as the cork is moist, it will stay expanded and the wine bottle will remain sealed. But when a cork is allowed to dry out, as it eventually will with bottles which are stored vertically, it will shrink and air will find its way into the bottle, ruining the wine.

Wine storage cabinets have traditionally been wooden, but in recent years they have been fashioned from a variety of materials ranging from metal and durable plastics to Formica. To each, his or her own, and wood is still the most popular material for wine storage cabinets.

Regardless of their material, the most important feature of all wine storage cabinets is the arrangement of their bottle holding tunnels. They will be horizontal, as preferred for long-term storage; or diagonal or vertical. The horizontal position is essential for storing cored wines, but for wines sealed in wax, it would be disastrous.

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